WEBVTT BEFORE CHECK-IN AND THENBROKE IN INSTEAD.ARI HAIT HAS MORE ON THEELABORATE SCAM.ARI: THE GUY WHO RENTS THISHOUSE HERE IN BOCA RATON SAYSTHE RESERVATION WAS CANCELEDJUST MINUTES AFTER IT WASCONFIRMED.HE THOUGHT THAT WAS A LITTLECURIOUS, SO HE DECIDED TO COMEBY THE HOUSE JUST TO CHECK ITOUT.HE SAYS WHEN HE PULLED UP THEREWERE CARS IN THE DRIVEWAY, THEREWERE PEOPLE ALL AROUND THEHOUSE.HE KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG.>> SO, THEY CAME IN THROUGH THEMASTER BEDROOM.ARI: MATT ASCHENDORF SHOWED MEWHERE THE THIEVES BROKE INTO HISRENTAL PROPERTY.>> IT LOOKS LIKE THEY USED SOMESORT OF TOOL TO JIMMY OPEN THISLOCK.ARI: BUT THIS WASN'T YOURORDINARY BREAK IN, THIS WAS ANELABORATE SCAM THAT ASCHENDORFSTOPPED THROUGH WHAT HE CALLSDUMB LUCK.>> JUST HAD A FEELING THAT ISHOULD CHECK THE HOUSE.REALLY, NOTHING MORE.IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I WOULDNORMALLY DO, JUST GOT A SENSE ISHOULD CHECK ON THE HOUSE.ARI: IT WAS LAST WEEK ASCHENDORFHAD RENTED THE HOME FOR 10 DAYSTHROUGH AIRBNB, A SERVICE THATCONNECTS TRAVELERS WITH A PLACETO STAY.THE RESERVATION WAS CONFIRMED AT9:00 P.M. AND THEN CANCELED AT9:15.ASCHENDORF HAD ALREADY GIVEN THERENTERS THE GARAGE CODE.SO HE WENT TO THE HOUSE ANDCHANGED THE CODE JUST TO BESAFE.BUT THEN AROUND 11:30, HE WENTBACK AGAIN AND THIS TIME HEFOUND A CROWD OF PEOPLE AT HISHOUSE.>> YOU COULD SEE GUYS PANICKING,RUNNING IN AND OUT.CHAOS STARTED HAPPENING.SO I CALLED 911.ARI: TURNS OUT, THIS WAS A SCAM,ONE THE BOCA RATON POLICE SAY ISBECOMING MORE COMMON.SOMEONE RENTS THE HOME THROUGHAIRBNB, BUT AS SOON AS THEY GETACCESS TO THE HOME, THEY CANCETHE RESERVATION SO THEY DO NOTHAVE TO PAY.THEY THEN TURN AROUND AND RENTIT AGAIN TO SOMEBODY ELSE ANDPOCKET THE MONEY.IN THIS CASE, ASCHENDORF HADCHANGED THE GARAGE CODE, SO THETHIEVES BROKE IN, BUT ASCHENDORFSTOPPED THEM BEFORE THEY COULDTAKE ANYTHING.>> KIND OF NERVE-RACKING.A LOT OF MY FRIENDS WERE LIKE,ARE YOU CRAZY?YOU COULD HAVE GOT SHOT.YOU COULD HAVE GOT KILLED.BUT YOU PULL UP AND YOU'RE NOTEXPECTING TO SEE A MOB OF PEOPLEIN YOUR HOUSE AND YOU JUST KINDOF REACT. ARI: ALL FOUR SUSPECTS,INCLUDING A 14-YEAR-OLD, WEREARRESTED.ASCHENDORF TELLS ME HE'S BEENRENTING THIS HOUSE THROUGHAIRBNB FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW ANDIT'S BEEN NOTHING BUT TERRIFIC-- UNTIL NOW.HE SAYS HE'S NOT SURE YET IFHE'S GOING TO KEEP RENTING IT

Matt Aschendorf said there was one thing that helped him stop a break-in at his rental home in Boca Raton: dumb luck.

"I just had a feeling that I should check the house," Aschendorf said. "It's not something that I would normally do. I just got a sense I should check on the house."

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According to Boca Raton police, Aschendorf was about to become the latest victim of a scam that is becoming more and more common.

Aschendorf rents his home through a service called Airbnb. They link travelers with rental properties.

Aschendorf said he's been renting the home through Airbnb for about a year and it's been fantastic.

In this case, it wasn't.

Aschendorf said he confirmed the rental last Monday night around 9 p.m. The renters were scheduled to show up later that night.

Only minutes after he got the confirmation, the renters canceled the reservation.

Aschendorf said he had already sent them the garage code to get into the house so he went over and changed the code, just to be safe.

Then about 11:30 p.m., he decided to go check the house again and said he found two cars in the driveway and a crowd of people.

"You could see guys panicking, running in and out. Chaos started happening," Aschendorf said. "I called 911."

Police arrived and arrested four people, including a 14-old-boy.

Investigators said all four were involved in the scam, which goes like this: They rent the home through Airbnb using a fake name. After they get access to the house, they cancel the reservation so they don't have to pay. They then rent the house to someone else and pocket the money.

In this case, Aschendorf had changed the garage code so the thieves couldn't get in. Police said the four people instead chose to break in and rob the place.

That's when Aschendorf showed up and stopped them.

"Kind of nerve-wracking," he said. "A lot of my friends were like, 'Are you crazy? You could have got shot. You could have got killed.' But you pull up and you're not expecting to see a mob of people in your house and you just kind of react."